Much of the commentary in the day after a major change election ages poorly. Values Voters could make an impression in 2004, but nobody was talking about them in 2008. Obama’s victory in 2008 was historic, and people wondered about the GOP crackup, only to see the party surge back in 2010. I myself read the results in 2008 as a repudiation of politics that would surge back under Trump in 2016.
Social media rewards euphoria and despair. All is not lost or gained in one election. As we saw with the GOP autopsy after the 2012 election, even an attempt at sober and self-interested analysis is marred by prejudice and a lack of imagination.